Fourth line a big bonus for Ducks

A lot of lines in the NHL would be more than happy to produce six goals and 16 points through the opening 11 games of a season.

The fact that the Ducks have received those contributions from their fourth, or energy, line is one of the biggest positives for the team entering Friday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center.

"The expectation for your energy line is not to get scored on, first and foremost," Coach Randy Carlyle said after Friday's morning skate. "Those guys have done their fair share for our offensive side.

"That's always a plus, not only on the score sheet, but it really builds within your group. When you can have those players that normally don't get the rewards of offensive statistics, it really builds the character on your team and everybody is happy for them. They've gone out and earned it."

The fourth line has been made up primarily of some combination of Brian Sutherby, Ryan Carter, George Parros and Brad May, although May is expected to be out at least two weeks because of a sprained right knee suffered in Wednesday's 5-4, overtime triumph over the visiting Detroit Red Wings.

Sutherby's third goal of the season, nicely assisted by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry after Sutherby had jumped over the boards for a line change, gave the Ducks a 4-3 lead over Detroit at 12:56 of the third period.

Sutherby leads the energy-line crew with five points, after he went without a goal and managed just one assist in 45 games with the Ducks last season following his early season acquisition from the Washington Capitals.

"Nobody was more mad or frustrated than me last year," Sutherby said. "I knew that was part of my game that I could bring. I had done it in the past, not be a huge offensive guy but just a guy who can contribute. If you can be a third-, fourth-line guy that can contribute, it's going to go a long way toward helping the team."

Carter has a goal and three assists, May four assists and Parros two goals and an assist. Led by Sutherby's plus-6 mark, all four players are at least plus-4, and they have combined for 55 penalty minutes, clearly making life less comfortable for opponents.

"I think they just feel more comfortable, and maybe they're getting more opportunities," Carlyle said. "Any time you get your fourth line providing the offense that those guys have, when our other guys were pretty much shooting blanks the first four or five games, you can never predict that. It's a bonus for your group."

Sutherby's three goals have come on just six shots, giving him a team-leading 50 percent shooting percentage.

"I want to shoot the puck as much as I can," he said. "You get one to go and you kind of feel a little better. Maybe you take a little more time, or you take that extra look. When you haven't scored in a while, it gets to you."

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